April 30, 2018
Dangerously High Winds Test Our Fortitude
Well, as you can see below the front handlebars, Buster (our Canadian bear) is ready to hit the road again, but we feel like he does - a bit tired but happy. We had imagined that we would have some spare time while staying at Zum Engel Landgasthof in Romerburg for 3 nights, but we should have known better. When at Spezi, you are full on Spezi and it has been great.
It is threatening to be a challenging day in terms of weather and navigating heavy winds. The weather report has changed the wind icon to red - yikes that is not good. Gusts will be about 70 km and we’re hoping for a tailwind!! And it is very cold today - so we will bundle up and wear our woollies and warm coats.
We will connect to our cycle route at Germersheim, and we certainly know the way after riding to and from Spezi the past few days.
We have loved it here.
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The collage above has clues about what we have added to Seavo at the Spezi to improve our ride. There were so many extravagant possibilities, but we kept it small. The top photo shows new cushions to add to our seat. The manufacturer is a small business (he and his wife) from Holland and he supplies many recumbent manufacturers to relieve “recumbent butt” and add aerated comfort. We will secure them more permanently later but for now they feel great and will help on our long journey. As well, we added a more vibrant and highly reflective flag to our trailer pole and a wee bell to greet the many farm animals we see.
Gasthof Zum Engel, our home for the past 3 nights. Comfortable, quiet, a garage just for bikes and it is located in a small country village.
Below, we are riding through one of the remaining fortified gates of Germersheim. The town is known for its castle and fortified walls. The village is certainly quiet with the Spezi being dismantled.
As predicted, it is VERY windy and super cold....and we have a headwind! This pair of storks are toughing it out in their nest and have braced themselves to hang on.
We stopped to take shelter from the wind and Barry made us a hot cup of Aeropress coffee. It looks calm here but it is super cold and windy. We have been hearing big branches coming down and just now, a tree crashed down nearby. We have decided to stop riding early as it feels too dangerous to be riding in this beautiful forested area.
The Rhine is looking pretty choppy.
We have just passed the Mercedes Benz factory and there are lots full of new trucks and train cars. The way they loaded them, face to face, amused us and reminded us of 2 stags confronting each other.
We reached the village of Neuburg am Rhein and decided to call it a day. Our e-motor usually has a range of about 200 km, but today 56 km in a brutal head wind depleted much of its charge. We won’t camp and hotels are expensive in this region, so we moved on, but we eventually found a charming Pension in the village, Pension Rheingau, reasonably priced with breakfast included. The owner told us to head to the town square as there is going to be bratwurst, rindfleisch, beer and a band. This is a national holiday and as everything is closed, so we thought it would be a good idea for an inexpensive dinner. But, the weather was making it really tough for the organizers - black clouds, rain and wind - so we bought two of each and took it back to our Pension to eat in the warmth of our room. And yes, we washed it down with a local beer the Pension provided us with.
Today's ride: 56 km (35 miles)
Total: 489 km (304 miles)
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